Liquid products, particularly household and fabric care compositions such as dishwashing soap, hand soap, and surface cleaners, are a popular choice among consumers. Generally, such liquids are sold within containers attached to trigger actuated spray dispensers and are called liquid dispensing products. Trigger spray dispensers attached to containers allow for the liquid within the container to flow from within the container to a targeted surface with minimal physical exertion by the user. Traditional trigger spray dispensers may have a spray nozzle attached to a shroud housing a pump, and a trigger having for example, a trigger lever, underneath the spray nozzle. The shroud is then attached to a container holding the liquid. The trigger lever is typically found beneath the spray nozzle because as a user grips the product, the user can hold the entire product and actuate the trigger spray dispenser with only one hand. A user will typically place their hand around the neck of the container with the user's index finger and possibly middle finger on the trigger lever and the user's thumb, ring finger, and pinky wrapped underneath the trigger lever. In this configuration, the user may easily point the spray dispenser towards the targeted surface the user wishes to spray and press on the trigger with the user's fingers.
Manufacturers want to ensure that trigger spray dispensers are convenient to operate without too much force being necessary to actuate the spray dispenser and that there is an even flow of spray through the nozzle to provide for a pleasant spraying experience. Manufacturers do not want for the nozzle to be inadvertently misaligned or knocked off so as to provide an uneven spray, or even not allow for liquid to come out at all. The issue of nozzle misalignment can often occur during shipping, storage, display on the shelf, and/or by the user in using the spray dispenser. Manufacturers also want for the spray dispenser to maintain its product integrity during shipping, storage, and/or display on a store shelf.
One way manufacturers have attempted to solve the problem of accidental misalignment of the nozzle is by placing a separate nozzle cover piece to house the nozzle. The nozzle cover is often physically connected, even if only by small threads, to the nozzle in order to be rotatable with the nozzle for ease of use, should the nozzle and/or nozzle cover be rotatable. However, as the nozzle cover is physically connected to the nozzle, when a physical force is exerted upon it, the nozzle cover receives much of the energy transferred from the object or person exerting the force, but some is still transferred to the nozzle. Even small forces can be enough to move a delicate nozzle structure and pathway out of alignment and resulting in uneven or no liquid to be dispensed.
Another way manufacturers have attempted to solve this problem of accidental misalignment of the nozzle is by providing a spray dispenser cap that is separate from the spray dispenser and is placed over the shroud and nozzle when the spray dispenser is not in use. Although spray dispenser caps can provide protection from physical force to the nozzle when the spray dispenser is not in use, spray dispenser caps only work when a user remembers to place the spray dispenser cap back on to the spray dispenser. As such, this is only a temporary solution to protect the nozzle. Spray dispenser caps do not protect the nozzle from when the user is using the spray dispenser and accidentally bumps their finger into the nozzle with enough force to cause misalignment. In addition, spray dispenser caps can be costly for manufacturers to produce and attach the cap to the spray dispenser as a second piece.
In view of the above, there is a continuing unaddressed need for a spray dispenser for liquid products having a nozzle guard to protect the nozzle from misalignment and method of using such spray dispenser having a nozzle guard, where the nozzle guard is not physically connected to the nozzle so as to not allow any force to be transferred to the nozzle and where the nozzle guard is a permanent attachment to the spray dispenser such that the nozzle guard is a permanent component always providing protection to the nozzle.